Security tight as ‘Araw’ culminates

SECURITY will be tightened at Rizal Park along San Pedro St. and other main thoroughfares of Davao City as Dabawenyos take to the streets Saturday to join the culminating activities of the 76th Araw ng Dabaw celebration.

Some 1,200 police personnel from the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) will be augmented by some 200 policemen from the Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 and 400 soldiers from Task Force Davao (TFD).

Some 160 Philippine National Police (PNP) scouts have also been deployed to help beef up security measures already put in place since last week.

Today's activities include a Thanksgiving Mass, Parada Dabawnyo and a concert.

The DCPO had put the city under full alert starting last week and will deploy a good number of police personnel ar the Rizal Park where most of the culminating activities like the Parada Dabawenyo will take place.

"We will deploy early tomorrow morning for the Thanksgiving Mass at the San Pedro Cathedral and we will also secure the route for the Parada Dabawenyo. We will also tighten the security for the Pahalipay Concert ni Mayor Sara ug Vice Mayor Rody Duterte and we will also deploy police officer in crowded places," DCPO chief Ronald dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa said some of the 1,200 police officers from the DCPO will be in civilian attire as they will be working undercover. Some reinforcements from and Public Safety and Security Command Center will also assist DCPO in maintaining the security for the festivities.

The Traffic Management Center under its head retired colonel Desiderio Cloribel is also fielding 200 enforcers, including those from the Traffic Eagle Squad.

Dela Rosa warned pickpockets to avoid victimizing revelers in the city since they already know the suspects.

"We already have the lists and identification of pickpockets so it will be easy for us to arrest them," dela Rosa said.

He then advised pickpockets to go to the different police stations instead where they will be served food and coffee.

"If they are hungry, they do not have to steal from the revelers. They could simply go to the police stations were they will be given class A accommodation," dela Rosa said.

"This is what we call policing approach," he added.